Sussex police to track dementia patients

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Sussex Police has defended a new scheme to hand-out GPS locating devices to track dementia patients.

The force bought six battery-powered locators as part of a scheme to save money and time spent on searching for missing dementia patients.

But the National Pensioners Convention described the introduction of the devices as "barbaric" and suggested sufferers could be stigmatised.

The scheme is only costing Sussex Police a few hundred pounds but, comparing this to police time, resources, potential risk to the missing person, let alone the anxiety and worry for their family, it is, in my opinion, a few hundred pounds well spent.

– Sergeant Suzie Mitchell, Sussex Police

The Mindme GPS device is monitored by Chichester Careline, run by ChichesterDistrict Council, and supports vulnerable people 24 hours a day every day of the year.